Mr Paul Thorning

Paul Thorning is a Professor of Innovation and Director of Open Innovation at the University of Bradford. He leads programmes focused on helping UK and European SMEs to forge stronger international links, particularly with China, in order to translate and develop new technologies in healthcare. Paul also runs the Accelerated Student and Graduate Entrepreneur programme at the University of Bradford. This programme focuses on enabling students and graduates to establish successful social and business enterprises. A guiding principle is that start-ups can be international at birth, through connecting and developing talent from different countries. The programme is able to help students from first meeting and developing an idea to receiving funding for their enterprise in just four months. Paul has a broad-ranging senior-level career spanning technical, research, managerial, and commercial roles in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. He also spent three years as a Country Director of a lead partner for UNHCR, responsible for refugee programme in Tanzania. He is CEO of a University spin-out pharmaceutical technology company, Crystec, and has also established a successful charity for disabled and disadvantaged children. Paul is a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, holds an MBA with distinction, and speaks five languages.